PORT ST. LUCIE – Tommy John’s laborious return from surgery is usually measured in small milestones, but Noah Syndergaard hit one of the biggest on Saturday – even if it came in a small dose.
The Mets dexter threw three sliders for the first time in his bullpen session on Saturday, exactly 11 months since he was operated on, marking the final step forward for Syndergaard in his attempt to return to Citi Field this summer.
It is not yet known when or if Syndergaard will face hitting live this spring – pitching coach Jeremy Hefner said the date has not yet been set – but his arduous rehabilitation process continues to advance.
“He started incorporating the break shots right now,” said coach Luis Rojas on Sunday. “I’m sure [Saturday] it was one of the goals, a big one. He looks great physically. He seems on track to be back with us when we define him. It is exciting to see him, but I know that we have to wait for him to go through the process and come to us when God comes. “
Syndergaard had launched another bullpen on Wednesday, but at that moment he was limited to fast balls, changes and sinkers.
Hefner, who underwent Tommy John surgery twice during his Mets pitching career, has been an important voice for Syndergaard to ask for advice during the recovery process – which Hefner did not necessarily have during his rehabilitation journey, said Domingo.
The Post Mets podcast “Amazin ‘But True” returns on Monday with weekly episodes throughout March.
“Living this, living the protocol, understanding the milestones you need to reach, in a specific order – for me, I didn’t do a good job of controlling my intensity and my intention,” said Hefner, who went through his rehabilitation at the same time. than Matt Harvey.
“[Syndergaard is] a total professional. He’s stuck all the time, listening, adjusting. He has done everything that is necessary from the point of view of performance, from the point of view of mechanics, to the point of view of mind. … I am proud of him for insisting on this because it can be difficult. Sometimes, when you feel good, you want to do a lot, and when you don’t feel good, you want to do less. But trying to be as consistent and constant as possible will result in a better outcome at the end of this thing. “